Reaching The Shore
by AmySparkles
Summary: 'Nick blinks to clear his vision because if Grissom cries then it means something really bad has happened.' Sometimes Reaching The Shore doesn't mean you haven't drowned. Nick Centric.


This is the product of listening to _The Blizzards_ and _The Fray _a little too much in one day. This story is inspired by the songs 'Postcards' (From heaven) by The Blizzards and 'You found me' by The Fray. Hope you guys enjoy it and please let me know your thoughts, this is only my second story so I'd love some feed back. Thank you :)

As usual, I don't own CSI, its characters or Nick Stokes.. What a shame, Huh?... :)

He can hear the sirens and see the sweat beading on the guy's forehead. Help hasn't arrived yet though, Brass is the only one with them. The cops must be outside figuring out what to do. They'll burst through the doors any minute.

Grissom is trying to reason with the guy. Nick can hear his steady tone, relaxed, so as not to frighten the man who managed to wander into the lab. Nick tried talking to him earlier but nothing came of it.

Grissom slowly takes a step towards the man and puts his hand out to try and calm him down. It doesn't work and he just takes a step backwards coming closer to the glass wall separating them from Hodges and Wendy. There standing close together and Nick doesn't think he's ever seen Hodges scared before.

Catherine and Warrick are standing at the corner of the hallway. Nick thinks if they had only been a few seconds late they could have saw the man before he saw them. They could have gone for help sooner and they wouldn't be in danger. Warrick keeps looking at him but Nick glances away before he can read his expression. He hears Catherine call out to Grissom.

The man has stepped forward and Nick can see the shiny silver gun. Its just like one his favourite cowboy used in the film his Dad took him to for his ninth birthday. Just him and his Dad, no brother or sisters. Nick begins to think back to that birthday but has to remind himself where he is and the situation he's in. Grissom steps back and Nick can sense Warrick's frustration. He knows Warrick just wants to jump on the guy and end this but there's the small problem of the gun he's holding. None of them, except Brass, had reacted quick enough to pull there gun on him in return. The man soon got the upper-hand when he threatened to blow Greg's skull to smithereens if Brass didn't throw his gun on the floor.

That's what had led to this moment. Nick looked back towards Hodges who just stared at him, he felt like asking him what his problem was but realised it would be a dumb question. Wendy was just starring at the floor, she seemed locked in place like if she looked at Nick she would shatter into a thousand pieces. Nick couldn't see Greg from his position but he had remembered his panicked expression when this all started.

Nick thinks back to the first time he had a gun pointed at him. It was unexpected and that got Nick the most. They had caught the killer and he was finishing up but of course his luck had to turn everything on it's head. He had nightmares for months after, they summarised for him what would have happened if Grissom hadn't come back.

Nick looks back at the man's gun and notices his hand shaking, when he look up at the man he catches him starring at him with the same look Hodges had earlier. It's as if the man holding the gun in scared of the unarmed CSI. He starts to feel uncomfortable at the stares he's being given. He was never very paranoid but ever since Nigel Crane came into his life he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. It wouldn't happen all the time but sometimes if he was alone at a crime scene or working on something in the lab and it was quiet he would feel like someone was watching him intently, studying his every move.

Brass catches Nick's eye and holds it for a few seconds. He has a look of regret and Nick wants to tell him it's not his fault. Brass is looking down the corridor now but Nick cant see why. Maybe help has come and they would all be able to get back to work without anyone being hurt. Nick didn't want to get used to having guns pointed at him, it wasn't his idea of fun. He thinks he can hear something but no-one moves so maybe he was wrong. Grissom hasn't looked at him this whole time and Nick begins to think he's blaming him. Nick should have called out to them and warned them. He shouldn't have just let this man take the lab hostage without uttering a single word. He thinks he can see Grissom's eyes flutter towards him just for a second but then there back watching the man closely.

Finally, out of frustration Brass runs forward and tackles him. Grissom is shouting and Nick sees the gun slide across the floor and he wants to take a deep breath of relief. Brass has apprehended the man and Nick thinks he can feel the tension flowing out of the room. Nobody moves for what feels like forever but then he sees Hodges again. He's still staring at him. Nick was expecting a smile of relief but instead he's still staring at him only this time his expression seems defeated. As if someone had just punched him in the gut and told him the world was going to end at any second.

Nick wants to run far away but he cant, its like he's frozen to the spot and he suddenly realises his viewpoint is off. It's as if he's floating and miles beneath everyone at the same time. He sees Catherine and Warrick turn and move towards him, Greg comes up behind them from his previous position. There running towards him now and he tries to look behind him and see what there looking at. Maybe the police have arrived ready to secure the scene. Warrick drops to his knees and Nick suddenly registers that he's on the floor. He doesn't remember that happening, Grissom's going to kill him.

_'Shit' _

Warrick's staring at him so intently he wants to crawl away. If he didn't know better he'd say that tears were forming in Warrick's eyes. It must be just the light.

'_Oh god, Grissom?'_

He can hear Catherine crying, she shouldn't be crying.

_'Nick?'_

Greg is standing over him with a look that could break Nick's heart. His face is a mix of shock, anguish and pain. Greg never looks like this, he's the happy one that cheers your day up with his crazy remarks.

He should be wondering why he's on the floor right? He needs to get up and make sure everyone's okay, that's what he should be doing right? Warrick catches his eye though. He's pulling off his shirt so fast that he might pop the buttons. Nick sees a red smudge on Warrick's white under shirt and he suddenly worries that Warrick got hit by the guy without anyone noticing. But then he sees his hands and there red, all over. But his hands were just on the floor beside Nick weren't they? Warrick suddenly rolls his shirt into a ball and slams his hands down over Nicks stomach. Nick wants to push him off and ask what the hell he's doing but he feels a dull pain. It's as if he should be feeling it but he just cant. Like he's underwater. He looks down at his stomach and sees red, everywhere, he wasn't wearing a red shirt it was white.

_'What?...' _He can only seem to get one word out, he could speak fine earlier.

_'It's okay Nicky, everything is going to be alright'_

Catherine's sitting with Nick's head resting on her knees. He can feel her stroking his hair and he can see her tears glistening in the light. She looks at him and Nick doesn't think he's ever seen her this upset. He saw her cry before but now she looks just like the parent of a victim. He hears Warrick call out to Grissom and he wonders why he still hasn't seen him. Nick looks down and sees Grissom walking over but the image of him starts to fade. It's like he's underwater again and Grissom is looking at him from the shore.

Nothing feels right, Nick just wants to wake up. He doesn't know what's happening. Is this just some weird dream? Any minute now he'll fall out of bed and realise he's late for work, Grissom's going to kill him. But then he sees Grissom's face. It like he's finally reached the shore but he suddenly wants to go back under. Grissom looks numb, it's like he isn't here either. Nick could swear if he tried he'd be able to see right through Grissom. His eyes look dark and he's staring so intently at Nick its as if he's in a trance. Nick notices how shiny Grissom's eyes look. Nick tries to laugh, Grissom never cries, he wouldn't cry over him. He can't laugh though and instead he feels something drip down his chin.

_'No, no please. Nicky it's okay...' _

That's Catherine's voice but he can't see her anymore. Its like his vision has become a tunnel with Grissom at the end. Brass puts his hand on Grissom's shoulder and something slides down his face. Nick blinks to clear his vision because if Grissom cries then it means something really bad has happened. He closes his eyes but hears Warrick.

_'No man, look at me Nick. LOOK AT ME.' _

Warrick shouts the last part and Nick wants to tell him to be quiet. He opens his eyes but everything is dark. No Grissom or Catherine or Warrick. Not even Hodges. The dull pain is gone, he cant even feel Warrick's hand on his stomach.

He could still hear crying though and Warrick shouting again. Maybe that meant everything would be okay. His friends would fix everything like they had before. But then he remembered what his grandmother had told him when she found him talking to his grandfather who had died.

_'A person's hearing is always the last to go.'_

He suddenly realises what's happening. He's not scared though. It's as if it doesn't bother him, like he doesn't care. It's all just a dream. Nothing matters.

He hears Grissom, maybe that means he's finally reached the shore.

The crying stops.

Thanks for reading.. :)


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